Iran fired ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Qatar and Iraq on Monday, according to reports from the region, though the missiles were apparently intercepted without doing damage.
Iranian state television apparently confirmed the launch of at least ten ballistic missiles.
Iran had been threatening retaliation against U.S. bases in the Middle East in retaliation for the U.S. attack this weekend on Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz.
The U.S. had moved air and naval assets out of harm’s way in anticipation.
Iran claimed that it had actually hit Al-Udeid base, a major U.S. base in Qatar.
President Donald Trump had spoken to American troops at the base during his Middle East visit earlier this year. The U.S. moved air assets away from the base last week, apparently in anticipation of an attack (or retaliation for a U.S. strike on Iran).
Likewise, the U.S. Navy had dispersed ships that had been docked in Bahrain, minimizing the risk of damage.
The Jerusalem Post reported:
Iran on Monday night fired 10 ballistic missiles at the US Central Command (CENTCOM)’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and one ballistic missile at an American base in Iraq in retaliation for Washington’s attack on three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday morning, multiple sources told The Jerusalem Post.
Social media showed a slew of anti missile interceptors fired by American forces to try to shoot down the threats and explosions were heard over Doha, Qatar’s capital on Monday evening.
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Air defense systems were activated in Ain al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, a US military source told Reuters. A maximum alert status was declared with personnel ordered to take shelter in bunkers, the source added.
President Donald Trump had threatened massive retaliation against Iran in the event that it attacked U.S. bases or Americans anywhere in the world. Those threats came before the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.
However, in the event of a perfunctory response by Iran, Trump might decide not to respond in turn. That was his approach after the U.S. killed Iranian terror general Qasem Soleimani in 2020.
When Iran launched missiles against a U.S. base in Iraq, without killing soldiers, Trump decided not to respond — though his rival, then-candidate Joe Biden, accused Trump of having ignored head injuries to American troops on the base.
In that vein, the New York Times reported Monday: “Three Iranian officials familiar with the plans said that Iran gave advanced notice to Qatari officials that attacks were coming, as a way to minimize casualties.”
Qatar confirmed that it had been attacked, and protested against what it called a violation of its sovereignty. It also found a way to blame “Israeli escalation in the reggion” for the Iranian attack on a U.S. base.
This story is developing.
